HERO: RAY CHAPMAN
CLEVELAND INDIANS SHORTSTOP
1891- 1920

When on August 16, 1920, Ray Chapman trotted out from the dugout at the Polo Grounds in New York to take his Cleveland Indian shortstop position for an American League game with the New York Yankees, undoubtedly he heard people singing, “Take me out to the ball game. Take me out to the park . . .”

He never dreamt that a few days later a train would be taking his body back to Cleveland for a funeral Mass at Saint John Cathedral and that people would be singing the words in the Requiem Mass, Dies Irae Dies Illa.

Chapman was struck by a pitch by Carl Mays on August 16, 1920 in a game against the New York Yankees at the Polo Grounds. It was the top of the fifth inning, in the late afternoon. Chapman died twelve hours later in a New York City hospital, at about 4:30 a.m.

Chapman probably did not see the ball because in those days a pitcher could scuff the ball, cover it with licorice, tobacco juice, spit or dirt. Today when a batter foul tips a ball or hits a foul into the dirt, a clean white ball is put into play. In Chapman’s day, the only covering for a pitcher’s head was the cap he was wearing. Today the batter must wear a batting helmet. Also, if an umpire suspects a pitcher is throwing at a batter’s head, he can either issue a warning or immediately eject the pitcher and even his manager.

Even though the Indians lost Chapman, who was probably the best shortstop in either league in 1920, Tris Speaker led the team to win both the pennant and the first World Championship in the history of the Cleveland Indians.

Ray Chapman is buried in Lakeview Cemetery in Cleveland, Ohio. A beautiful white head stone marks his grave. Let’s hope it will remain the only one over the grave of a baseball ball player killed by a pitched ball.

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